I don't know whether we'll ever see the starting five we saw take the floor for Argentina on Friday do it again after Sunday's bronze medal game against Russia, but nobody ever gets all the time they want. Manu Ginobili will be 39 when the Games go to Rio de Janeiro in 2016, as will point guard Pablo Prigioni. Luis Scola will be 36, as will fellow forward Andres Nocioni. Only Carlos Delfino (who'll be 33) would seem a strong bet to return to the national team for another Olympic run; it's entirely possible that, as of Sunday evening, the sun will have set on one of the greatest collections of talent that international basketball has ever seen.

And if that's true, we need to be standing up and applauding in front of our television sets as the clock ticks down to zero, no matter which team wins bronze. My colleague Adrian Wojnarowski was exactly right — we all the Argentina national team a debt of gratitude. From delivering the first defeat ever suffered by a U.S. team composed of NBA players at the FIBA World Championship in 2002, through their gold-medal performance in Athens in 2004, to their FIBA Diamond Ball gold in 2008, this group has given not only Argentinians, but basketball fans the world over, so much joy, so many advancements and such reason to celebrate the game.

They have a chance to take another medal Sunday; Russia had better be ready for the fight of their lives. Argentina has never, and would never, give anything less.

Argentina's is one of the greatest international teams ever. The First team to beat US profesionals and the The Only team to beat the US in international competition more than once. Perrenial contenders for international championships. I think in 2004 they could have contended for an NBA title. Too bad they weren't quite able to keep up with Russia and got a little robbed. But it was great while it lasted.

Argentina went from a nobody to an international basketball powerhouse in 2 years, and kept it going for better part of a decade. Hopefully Argie's young generations can keep it going.

DAMN why did they have to lose to Russia I wanted them if anyone to medal damnit. Manu you were excellent again! Legend.

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Win or lose this is a game -
You could let it pick your brain for weeks and months, just replay it over and over, won't do you any good at all. When someone loses a loved one and they do that it only brings forth anguish. I feel acceptance is sometimes the key, it happened, now you have to react to it. Giving up is not an option.

I'm surprised that this generation didn't inspire a new generation of Argentine players.

Actually you are quite mistaken on this one.
The Golden Generation inspired a whole bunch of new players.
In fact, now, in the last ten years, Basketball has surpassed soccer as the sport with the most federated players in the country.
Now there are 20% more basketball players in organized basketball. (Ages 6 and up) than soccer players playing in clubs.
That wasn´t imaginable twenty years ago.
Let´s also remember that a Basketball League in Argentina has almost 30 years. And soccer is the most popular sport in the last century and a half.

There has been three great moments in Argentinian basketball in the last thirty years.

When the ubergreat Leon Najnudel had the vision to create the Argentinian League.

The second moment was the first great generation: Milanesio, Campana, Montenegro, Espil, that made a great national league while also "exported" the first handful of players to European leagues, and the huge result of an eighth spot in the World Championship in 1990.

The third big step forward was this Golden Generation that made for sooooo much growth, to even, as I said before, make basketball the sport most played in organized fashion.

These players are one of a kind, and there won´t be soon another Manu or another Scola. But there will be another players that can reach NBA level, and inherit the pride and heart of this generation.

There are thousands of kids ages 6 to 16 that grew up inspired by these players, the same as LeBron grew up watching MJ or Kobe and Anthony Davis surely grew up admiring Timmy.

For instance a player like Gabriel Deck, who was the top scorer in this year´s Under 17 World Championship.
He grew dreaming to play alongside this group of players.

I could go on and on anout the true impact of this Golden Generation. And it´s still generating more impact on Argentinian and Latin American Basketball. Heck, FIBA Basketball as Wojnaroski pointed out.

I have the honor and pride of watching them since they were teenagers. I even had the honor of being the referee in a couple of games played by Scola, Delfino, Campazzo, Mata, and all the younger players.
And have the honor of meeting all of the rest.

I feel really bad for Manu with his career coming to an end and ending with a loss at a medal and so close to it to. I'm proud of him no matter what and all the success he's had both with the Spurs and his NT. He has a lot to be proud of and he'll still be a HOF no matter what happened. I'm wondering though knowing the kind of competitor that Manu is and knowing that this is not the way he wants to end his career on a losing note I could possibly see him at least one more time try in the World Championships. It's interesting to hear him not rule anything out about coming back again. Poor guy must really be depressed if he says this is close to the worst loss in his career .

listen, i am on record saying that i love the way manu plays and how whatever team he plays for has big chance to win it all (olympics, NBA Champs, world ships, etc) however he is at this age where he needs to concentrate his efforts for the spurs no more international games, if he wins another NBA ship with the spurs his country is going to be very, very proud of him becuase he is representing his country, i hope he realizes this and just concentrate to win it with the spurs, i know we have one more ship before duncan and manu retires, come one one more